2/7/2025
Down in South Portland, the management for the Marine Division have been working on stirring up work — BIG work. It’s now come to the point where they can express their excitement and announce Bancroft Marine Services’ involvement in the [long-awaited] $25 million Portland Harbor Dredging Project!
Bancroft Marine has partnered with Cashman Dredging (of Massachusetts) in the digging of a 9-acre confined aquatic disposal (“CAD”) cell in a shallow South Portland cove. This site will be able to accept up to 245,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediment that has built up between the wharves, piers, marinas, and boat yards of Portland Harbor over the last 70 years.
The dredge Dale Pyatt is an 80’ long x 60’ wide x 12’ tall, large-class bucket dredge suitable for maintenance dredging and harbor deepening projects. The Dale Pyatt is equipped for offshore applications and contains one of the largest buckets in the Western Hemisphere! Pretty sweet company to keep, if anyone is asking.
Leading up to the start of the dredging, Cashman has contracted Bancroft Marine to assist with several other projects as well. One of which was three days of tug assistance from Bancroft’s own tug, Bancroft ’24, to support the initial phase of operations.
However, due to a mechanical failure of the project’s primary support tug, Bancroft ’24 did much than just assist. Bancroft ’24’s crew worked around the clock for those three days, making the first five trips towing the 2,000-cubic-yard dumpscow Eddie Carroll 14 miles offshore to the EPA approved dump site.
The crew consisted of Bancroft’s own Captain Dan Hassett and Tommy Bancroft, as well as Dan Kudrow and Jason Hawko and additional licensed Mariners (Mates) to allow Bancroft ’24 to be run longer than 12 hours. A special appearance was made by our fearless leader, Mark Bancroft, who came out the second night to lend a hand and gain valuable experience and insight into what goes into completing an overnight dump run.
This essential project will address sediment buildup around 47 waterfront properties, including piers, marinas, and public boat facilities. The dredging will take place over a three year span and is vitally important for the future of the working waterfronts of the Fore River, in both Portland and South Portland. Bancroft is working hard to ensure we continue to play a pivotal role throughout this project.
